Oscar De La Hoya called Keith Thurman “over the hill” while explaining why Golden Boy is discussing him as Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s next opponent. That is a rough way to sell a fight, especially when the explanation ends with the promoter apologizing for being involved.
“Keith Thurman, yes, he’s a good fighter. He’s not the great fighter he was before. He’s over the hill,” De La Hoya told AB Boxing News in Chicago.
De La Hoya described Thurman as “almost like the only choice” for Ortiz, pointing to his name and experience. He also said Ortiz has been out for a year and could use the fight to get back into the groove.
That explains what Golden Boy hopes Ortiz gets from the matchup. It does considerably less for anyone being asked to watch it.
Thurman’s name is the selling point, but De La Hoya openly acknowledges that the fighter attached to it has faded. The proposed bout sounds like a comeback exercise for Ortiz dressed up with an opponent people remember from better days.
“I know the fight is not one of those championship-level, you know, undefeated versus undefeated,” De La Hoya said. “It’s not a fighter who is in his prime. I know what the situation is, but it is what it is.”
Ortiz needing rounds after a long absence is a reasonable argument. Whether Thurman can provide the kind of work that prepares him for stronger opposition is another question. Beating a recognizable veteran does not automatically tell us how ready Ortiz is for the division’s best.
De La Hoya’s claim that Thurman was the only available fight also needs more explanation. He did not name the other opponents considered or explain what prevented those bouts.
“I’m sorry to be part of it, but the Vergil Ortiz–Keith Thurman fight, if it happens, it’s the only fight that was available,” he said.
The fight remains under discussion. Already, its own promoter sounds resigned to it. If Golden Boy moves ahead, selling Thurman as a serious threat will be difficult after De La Hoya has supplied the argument against him.
